Friday, September 28, 2012

Okay, I suppose a little context is in order here. You see,
for many years I played World of Warcraft and pretty much nothing but World of
Warcraft. And the thing about World of Warcraft is… you don’t finish it. You
never finish it. Even if you finish it, you don’t finish it.

So, I quit WoW a while back and moved on with my life –
first, I got a life. Eventually, I hankered for a new game for my PC and found
a little thing called Just Cause 2.

I got there in a roundabout way. First, I decided to load my
old GTA games – Vice City, San Andreas, you know – only to learn that they run
like hell (when they run at all) on Windows 7. Dammit! Okay, lesson learned. I
moved on from there to GTA IV, which ran fine… just fine… just… yawn… fine.

Ugh! There was just something missing from GTA IV. The game
plays like a great mob movie but not like a great game, you know? I wanted
something new and exciting, something that allowed me to spread havoc and
chaos. I wanted Just Cause 2!

From the day I bought it – just over $10 on Steam – I couldn’t
stop playing it. With the mods I installed, I could use my grappling hook to go
anywhere I wanted with ease. I loved it!

And then, the moment came when I finished it… I mean
FINISHED it! I hadn’t finished a video game in so long it actually took me by
surprise! I found myself wondering, “Why doesn’t this cut scene end?”

But then, it was done.

What next?

Why, another game of Just Cause 2, of course! I think I’m
going to have to play this at least a couple of more times – not because the
story is so great but because the visceral thrill of it is such a blast!

Friday, September 21, 2012

As some of you may know, our wedding anniversary is
coming up on September 24th and me being an out of work bum means I don’t have
much I can give her by way of a present. That feels pretty shitty, to be
honest. Our year hasn’t gone quite the way we had hoped, and that includes my
book sales and my inability to find a job.

Fortunately, I just signed a contract on a new part-time job,
just signed a contract with a new agent, and recently signed a distribution
deal for my audio book – so things are turning around.

I guess I’ve been thinking about this so much today
because, simply put, I miss her. Vicky and I talk on the phone every night and
almost every morning and we text each other off and on during the day but I am
just going crazy with how much I miss her. And did I mention our anniversary
marks seven years of marriage? Seven years! And I’m crazier about her now than
when we first met!

The funny thing is, I know what’ll happen when she
gets back. She’ll be tired and busy and I’ll be busy, too. We’ll have a few
moments here and there, a few kisses and hugs, and a little time to hold each
other on the sofa – but mostly, we’ll be working.

I kinda hate that.

Still, I know that’s how we are. And maybe that’s why
I’m so crazy about her, because I never have the opportunity to get bored.

In case you’re wondering, yes, I am leaving out what’ll
happen just after she walks through the door. I think she better watch out,
though, because I’m getting some ideas…

Friday, September 14, 2012

As you probably know, I am an avid cycler. I enjoy taking my
bike for rides of up to 50, 80, 100 miles…

… oh, wait. Not anymore. I used to be an avid cycler, but my
bike has suffered some problems and I can’t quite afford to get things fixed.

Oh well. As you probably know, I’ve really gotten into
jogging. I like to jog on the Santa Ana River over 10 miles…

… oh, wait. I used to be into jogging but I burned through
my shoes and can’t afford new ones.

These problems could be solved once I find a job or if I
sell some books… but no luck so far.

So, what I decided to do is take up a different form of
exercise and I started doing this bodyweight workout. And the thing is, it is
killing me! I’m not kidding. I am busting my ass doing the…

… wait, I should tell you I’m not exactly doing that
workout. I’m actually doing just about 50% of it, and I’ve had to build to
that. I am not exactly what you would call the picture of health… unless you’re
talking about a very wide frame.

But, you know what? I’m doing it. And, yes, it is kicking my
ass but it’s also getting me off my ass and for an hour every morning, give or
take, I am outside working up a sweat. I have refused to let my financial
situation get in the way of staying – or just getting – healthy.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I’ll
remember 9/11 the same way I remember the Gulf of Tonkin or “Remember the
Maine!”, simply as reasons the United States used to go to war.

I wonder how
the hundreds of thousands we killed in Iraq would remember 9/11. I wonder how
the hundreds of thousands we killed in Afghanistan would remember 9/11. I
wonder how the victims of drone strikes and those illegally detained and those
held in secret prisons in our name would remember 9/11.

How do I
remember 9/11? I remember it as a day in which America took the wrong path and
just said “Fuck it. Let’s kill some brown people.” You know… just another day.

Friday, September 07, 2012

If you’ve been reading my blogs for some time, this may come
as no surprise to you. And if you just started, it’ll give you some idea of
what I’m about.

But I gotta tell you, one thought has stood out in my mind
recently: All Life Is Change.

We see it all around us. Heck, just check Facebook or your
Twitter feed. For that matter, consider how much has changed for there to be
such a thing as Facebook or anything called Twitter.

In my own life, I’ve been seeing change all around me. Some
of it is good, and you can read more about it over on the Ken La Salle blog.
Some of it, well, ain’t so good. But, you know what? It’s my life and I have to
kind of accept it.

… Begrudgingly…

Things have been tough in the old La Salle home. Vicky has
been doing an amazing job, keeping things going while I try to make this
writing career work. I’m not kidding. She’s wonderful. I wouldn’t be where I am
without her. Every day, she impresses me with just how smart and creative and
conscientious she is, and so much more. But, I know that’s not enough. She’s
doing all she can but money is tight and somewhere, I need to come up with
money.

I won’t lie. The books have not been selling well and things
aren’t moving as fast as I’d like. Worse, some deals I thought would work out
just haven’t. I’m so happy to announce any good news because so many times
things I think will be good news just don’t work out. So, I’ve been looking for
part-time work so I can continue this path but, as you can probably guess, the
job market isn’t really there with the jobs. No matter how much I apply or many
jobs I apply for, I can’t exactly say things are working out.

And that makes me sad because I don’t want Vicky to pull all
the weight, no matter how great she’s been about it. I want to help out.

Now, as I said, there is good news coming down the line and
mentioned over on the other blog but those are long-term deals and we need
short-term fixes.

What’ll I do? I’ll keep on working on what I’ve been working
on. I’ll look for work. I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep at the business of being a
writer. I’ll do it all every day and hope for the best, which I figure is about
all I can do at this point.

You know, the other day someone referred to me and my
writing career as if I must be wealthy because I’m published. What they don’t
realize is that I’m only taking the first steps in a long journey, a journey
that can go wrong anywhere along the way. I laughed at the thought that someone
thought I was wealthy, and then it occurred to me just how misunderstood I was
for someone to think that. I can’t begrudge someone who doesn’t know me for
making an assumption. But I can try to speak a little truth to it.

I won’t repost the links to the books here. You know where
to find them. They’re on my website at www.kenlasalle.com.
I’d love if you could pick up a copy of one of my books. Most of them are
cheaper than lunch.

My goal in all of this is to make writing my career and to
make a decent living at it. Vicky’s goals are a bit loftier and I hope she’s
right. In the meantime, life keeps changing and I keep on changing with it.